NRA, not 'media,' wages culture war

Last week the National Rifle Association's new president accused "the media" of waging a culture war on gun owners.

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Posted May. 8, 2013 at 12:01 AM

Posted May. 8, 2013 at 12:01 AM

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Last week the National Rifle Association's new president accused "the media" of waging a culture war on gun owners.

James Porter should look in the mirror.

In the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre of 20 grade school students, the nation collectively awoke from its complacence on the gun issue and came together in a critical mass to support a commonsense requirement for universal background checks on gun purchases.

"The media" reported extensively on the shootings, interviewing not only families of the victims but public officials, gun owners and NRA members themselves. Pollsters counted heads. They found, and the media reported, that the vast majority of Americans support universal background checks for gun purchases. A recent CBS News/New York Times poll found 88 percent support them. Among some demographic groups support reached 90 percent. Polls showed even NRA members supported the measure.

That's called consensus, not a culture war.

No, it's the NRA that's waging the culture war. That's how it keeps its membership high. Porter's an expert. According to Associated Press reports, Porter has called Attorney General Eric Holder "rabidly un-American," described the U.S. Civil War the "War of Northern Aggression" and regularly advocates training every citizen in using military firearms so they can defend themselves against "tyranny." Us-versus-them language successfully rallies the troops, including at the recent NRA convention in Texas, keeping them constantly afraid that someone is coming to take their guns. The NRA's intimidation tactics were so effective that even after Sandy Hook — where the shooter, until he slew those innocent children, had been a law-abiding citizen — the NRA cowed legislators worried about reelection into voting against the background check bill the public had overwhelmingly embraced. Tragedies like "that thing in Connecticut" (NRA member Rob Heagy's words) are minor incidents, not sufficient reason for even the most sensible measures to keep guns out of the hands of criminals or the mentally unstable.

Yes, someone is waging a culture war, but it's not the media. It's James Porter and his ilk, people for whom guns are religion. Guns are god, and acolytes proselytize through the language of fear. They are winning the war.